Lifting Exercises Prestige List
1A: Bench Press, Deadlift, Barbell Squat, Overhead Press
(most prestigious and work multiple different types of muscles)
2A: Bulgarian Split Squats, Incline Dumbbell Curls, Incline Chest Press, Hack Squat, Pull Ups, Pendulum Squats, Any Rowing Variation, Rope Pushdowns, Dips, Shoulder Press
(very prestigious and will give you optimal gains)
2B: Pec Flys, Hammer Curls, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Lat Pulldowns, Rear Delt Flys, Skull Crushers, Hip Thrusts
(solid exercises but there is better exercises)
3: Preacher Curls, Any Form of Shrugs, Close Grip Bench Press, Front Raises, Kickbacks, Face Pulls
(super mid exercises, way better variations for growth)
4: Any AB machine, hip abduction, hip adduction, Arnold press, assisted dips, assisted pullups
(least prestigious exercies and if you don’t lateral to other exercises your not going to grow).
Incline bench is far more prestigious than normal bench. Everyone knows it builds a better chest
better for aesthetics since it works the upper chest. but the first question someone asks you about lifting is how much you bench. so flat bench press remains superior
Would add that dumbell bench adds prestige vs. barbell bench.
Single-leg anything (Bulgarians, etc.) is significantly more prestigious than most of the big compound lifts. Lower weight, greater difficulty. Yeah, it’s easier to load up the deads and feel like a bad*ss, but single-leg gets you every time. Think Goldman vs. Centerview.
Also, you’ve neglected to rank sled pushes / pulls. (That’s “sledge” for those of you in the U.K.) Upper mid-range?
Also also, hex bar deadlifts > barbell deadlifts (for superior velocity)
Yes but the big 3 are classics and are far more prestigious. Acknowledged as big 3 lifts from powerlifting as well, so the rep is absurdly good.
I see your point, but respectfully disagree. The big lifts are flashy, and I believe necessary, but are not as prestigious.
Again, think Gucci vs. Loro Piana. Led Zep vs. Coltrane. One shouts, the other whispers. One is the clear winner for fun, the other is obvious in terms of prestige.
Push ups.
Sit ups.
Jumping jacks.
Those are all bottom tier. better variations for all of those. ex. diamond pushups. best body weight exercises are pull ups and dips. and adding weight to those makes it more prestigious
Finance bros will need something to keep them looking lean this upcoming rooftop szn despite maxing out their seamless allowance daily. Hands down the most prestigious exercise for this is hitting battle ropes. Not only does it deliver an ungodly pump from beating the ground like the hulk on a rampage, it’s an upper body dominated cardio workout that will shred the fat and sculpt you into a Roman statue. To top it off, if your gym even has battle ropes available then you are clearly working out in an upper decile prestige of gyms… and that, my friend, is prestigious.
Battle ropes makes you feel like the Hulk but will not make you look like the Hulk. Also, if staying lean is the goal, just eat in a calorie deficit and if your too lazy just take sarms or anavar
Don’t take drugs, kids. Listen to your BigTiddyGoth on this point. I have enough on my plate and don’t want to deal with a bunch of juniors with ‘roid rage.
You can't recreate the health benefits of cardio by just eating at a deficit. Regardless, when you burn more calories it makes it easier to stay at a caloric deficit. It's why body builders incorporate it (cardio) into their fitness regiment
CG bench press and face pulls that far down the list, while leg extensions and incline curls are that high up.. significant room for improvement on this list.
Where is power clean? Needs to be in 1a. Top tier prestige as it is the most complex and technical of all exercises (except maybe snatch).
Deadlift is not prestigious at all. Useless for aesthetics and only done by meatheads chasing PRs who have nothing else in life to work towards. Injury risk adjusted return is abysmal. Deadlifting nowadays would be like taking a JPM offer over PJT Rx.
Also swap all the barbell variants for dumbbells as more optimal for hypertrophy (apart from squats)
Sorry about the logo redesign mate
Zercher Jefferson curls
Pull ups deserve 1A considering that the majority can't even do 5.
Bulgarian Split Squats 3 or 4, RDL would be 2A.
Bench Press 2A, too common and grotesque to be 1A
Pendulum squats = machine assistance = easily tier 4, not old school enough to be tier 3.
DIPS 1A (big L putting it on 2 tier)
FARMER WALKS - 2
NECK EXTENSIONS - 2
Tier 4 = gay, delete it, not prestigious enough to be on the list.
Hex Bar Deadlift. Chin Ups. Push Ups (unstable surface). Single Leg Bulgarian Split Squat. Front Squat. Dumbbell Overhead Press. Hang Clean. Hang Snatch.
Congrats on deadlift, sorry about pull-ups
Weighted dips and pullups win. Look up the russian guys doing 405 on dips
Real talk, is it dangerous to bench press without a spotter? Assuming one isn’t going for a PR or anything crazy
No just don’t use clips to roll the plates of you
Missing front squat from tier 1a
Why would you do front squats when barbell back squats offer better stability and target the same muscles.
Cat food boy
Unless you can do true 10 wide grip pull ups unassisted, you should be doing assisted pull ups
I guess but have to incorporate progressive overload. I do weighted pullups to still have the ability to do 20+ body weight pullups while bulking.
Agree. I recently stripped away the weight from my pullups and returned to weightless, but now I do all pullups to the clavicle. Start from square one. Once I get strong enough to do weighted pullups to the clavicle, I'll strip the weight off again and return to weightless, but do pullups to the sternum. Rinse and repeat
ab machines work like a beauty
don’t even need ab machines. so many other movements work your abs like barbell squats. abs are made in the kitchen.
Rear Delt Flyes need to be top tier and that shouldn’t even be up for discussion. They’re the hardest muscle group to hit with other compounding exercises and they’re essential for an asthmatic physique, plus they are important for posture.
Most prestigious exercise is cleaning the gym
have you seen that guy Anatoly? thats all he does and he outlifts all the wannabe chads in those flashy gyms
Love his IG, never gets old
I like it when Anatoly tries to add weight to the already heavy weight and the person is like "no no you can't do that" - Anatoly says "it's ok this is my warmup" lolol
"haha is this fake weight?"
Shrugs getting wildly disrespected here.
Was literally just thinking the same, how are you gonna fill out those button down shirts w/o Death Star delts?
Um, because shrugs don't work the delts? They work the traps
Literally just spam lateral raises instead
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